Clematis plant named &#39;Evipo043&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, Red-Purple flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Genus: Clematis

Species: viticella

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Evipo043’

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematis plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, an un-named seedling

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 1996 and the resulting seeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment in Guernsey, Channel Islands. The new variety named ‘Evipo043’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parent and male pollen parent primarily by flower color and growth habit.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to create a new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualities such as:

1. Uniform and abundant Red-Purple flowers;

2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for container culture;

3. Flowering from new and old growth; and

4. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that were in commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantially achieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo043’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in their clematis development program in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom in 1997 . Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo043’ by means of vegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summer of 1997. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo043’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration show as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo043’. Specifically illustrated in the drawing are flowers at various stages of development, flower in parts, leaves, and stems.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo043’, as observed in its growth in Yamhill County, Oreg. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 24 months in 2 gallon containers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, two key characteristics of the clematis variety ‘Evipo020’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,012, issued Sep. 27, 2005, are compared to ‘Evipo043’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo043’ ‘Evipo020’ Flower diameter 120 mm 80-90 mm Coloration of Red-Purple Purple upper tepal surface Group 71A Group 79C

-   Flower and flower bud:     -   -   Blooming habit.—Continuous. The natural flowering period is             generally from May to October.         -   Flower bud.—Size: Normally 22 mm in length. Bud diameter is             10 mm. Bud form: Short, broad based, pointed, ellipse. Bud             color: At ¼ opening Yellow-Green Group 145A with intonations             of Purple Group 76A.         -   Peduncle.—Surface Texture: Smooth and pubescent. Length: On             average 30 mm in length by 2 mm wide. Color: Yellow-Green             Group 145A. Strength: Moderately strong.         -   Flower arrangement.—Location on vine: New and old growth.             Borne: Singly.         -   Flower bloom.—Size: On average, flowers are 120 mm in             diameter and 25 mm in depth. Profile: Open flowers are flat.             Fragrance: None. Lasting Quality: Flowers normally remain 8             days on the plant.         -   Tepals.—Tepal Color: Upon opening, the upper surface is             Red-Purple Group 71A with intonations of Red-Purple Group             N79C. The lower surface is Purple-Violet N80C on each side             of the Yellow-Green 145A central bar. Margins on the lower             surface are Red-Purple Group 71 A. After opening, the upper             surface is Red-Purple Group 71A. The lower surface is             Purple-Violet N80C on each side of the Yellow-Green 145A             central bar. Margins on the lower tepal surface are             Red-Purple Group 71 A. Quantity: Normally 6 tepals. Size: 60             mm in length by 38 mm wide. Shape: Individual tepal shape is             elliptic. The apex is mucronate and the base is acute. Apex             Recurvature: Slightly curved. Tepal Cross section: Slightly             reflexed. Margins: Entire. Weak undulations of margin             observed. Persistence: Tepals drop off cleanly.         -   Reproductive organs.—Arrangement: Fully open, the             reproductive parts span to a diameter of 30 mm. An inner             whorl of anthers remains tightly compact, surrounding the             pistils. Pollen: None observed. Anthers: Size: 6 mm in             length. Color: Yellow-Green Group 150D. Quantity: On             average, 55. Filaments: Color: Yellow-White Group 158D.             Length: 5 mm. Pistils: Quantity: On average, 30. Stigmas:             Level in location relative to the length of the filaments             and the height of the anthers. Styles: Color: Yellow-Green             Group 145D. Length: 7 mm.         -   Seed head characteristics.—None observed. -   Plant:     -   -   Plant form.—Climbing.         -   Plant growth.—Moderately vigorous.         -   Size.—Seasons growth attains 1 meter in height. Average             spread is 60 cm.         -   Stems.—Color: Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 144B.             Mature stems are Greyed-Orange Group 166A. Internodes: On             average, 9 cm between nodes. Length: Normally 40 cm from the             base of the plant to the flowering portion of the stem.             Diameter: Normally 2 mm. Texture: Mature stems are generally             smooth and ribbed.         -   Plant foliage.—Leaf characteristics: Deciduous. Arrangement:             Trifoliate. Leaf Size: Compound leaves are normally 120 mm             (1)×100 mm (w). Leaflets are normally 60 mm (1)×35 mm (w).             Abundance: On average 1 compound leaf per 10 cm of stem.             Leaf Color: Juvenile upper and lower surfaces are             Yellow-Green Group 144A with light anthocyanin the color of             Greyed-Red Group 178B at the margins. Mature leaves are             Yellow-Green Group 146A on the upper surface, and             Yellow-Green Group 146B on the lower surface. Stipules:             Absent. Petioles: Size: Normally 40 mm in length by 2 mm             diameter. Texture: Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144B.             Petioloule: Size: Normally 10 to 20 mm in length by 1.5 mm             diameter. Texture: Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144B.             Leaflet Shape: Generally ovate to cordate. The base is acute             or flat. The apex is acute. Margin: Entire. Surface: The             upper side is smooth. The lower side is smooth. Thickness:             Average. Glossiness: Moderately glossy.         -   Disease resistance.—Subject to any disease that normally             attacks the species. However the variety is more tolerant to             clematis wilt than some clematis.         -   Cold hardiness.—The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness             Zone 6.         -   Heat tolerance.—The variety has been found to be suitable             for climate conditions found in the American Horticulture             Society heat zone 7. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named ‘Evipo043’, substantially as described and illustrated herein, due to its abundant Red-Purple flowers with good keepability, attractive foliage, compact growth, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, which make the variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry. 